Incubator



Jan., 426 1926.l

l G. W. cisco E'r Al.

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INCUBATOR Original Filed August 18, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I IMQ/Mor.@barge Wzlsca 2. I2/222 I. Ma@ filly,

Patented Jan. 26,4 1926.

UNITED STATES o. 5 1,510,945 PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. CISCO, 0F HAWTHORNE, NEW JERSEY, AND JOHN F. y'.llllAtJKA'Y,OF LAN- 4 CASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

INCUBATOR.

Application led August 18, 1920, Serial No. 404,289. Renewed June 25,1925.

To all whom t may concern."

Be it known that we, GEORGE Cisco and JOHN F. MACKAY, citizens of theUnited States,residing, respectively, :it-Hawthorne, in the county ofPassaic and State of New Jersey, and Lancaster, in the county ofLancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new `anduseful Improvements in Incubators, whereof the following is aspeciication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to incubators, and is more especially concernedwith provisions for heating them and for regulating their temperature,and controlling air circulation through them. The invention is also'concerned With multi-decked incubators, and particularly with provisionsfor their construction in stacked sections and for obviating undesirableinfluence of'an incubator section or chamber on the temperature or theatmospheric conditions of associated sections or chambers. I-Iow theseand other advantages can be realized through the invention will becomereadily apparent from the detailed description which follows.

Fig. I is a front elevation of a sectional incubator structureconveniently illustrating my invention, a portion thereof being shown insection to set forth certain important. details to better advantage.

Fig. II is an elevation of the right hand end of the incubator.

Fig. III is, a view on an enlarged'scale, partly in elevation and partlyin section, of one of theI incubator units showing also a portion of anadjacent unit superimposed -upon the first, and the means by which thetwo are held from relative displacement.

Fig. IV is a' cross sectional view along the plane of the arrows IV-IVin Fig. III.

y Fig. V is a detail View in section.

Fig. VI is a diagrammatic perspective view of a structure comprising twocolumns of sectional incubator units such as shown in Figs. I and II,arranged back` to back.

Fig. VII is a detail view in section, showing a. simple method by whichthe cbrresponding pipes in adjacent sect-ionalunits may be united.

The organization' represented in Figs. I and II, it will be observed,comprises a multiplicity of sectional units respectively designated bythe numeral 1. These, as is clearly shown, are stacked or superimposedone `upon another, soY that the structure as a whole has a compact,cabinet like appearance. As will become apparent from furtherdescription, the sectional units 1, and likewise the top 2 and base 3,are so made as to be interchangeable in order to permit rearrangement,and so that` additional units may be readily added from time to time ifit is desired to increase the capacity of the structure, withoutnecessity ot any alterations whatever in any of its constituent parts.Such sectional units may in themselves comprise any number or" separateincubation chambers, but for the purposes ot illustration in the presentconnection, we have shown them in Figs. III and IV as comprehending buttwo of such chambers 5 5 which are preferably arranged side by sulatingair spaces, and thev closure is -completed by top and bottom boards 9and 10 respectively. At the ends of the bottom of each sectional unitare projections formed by attached transverse battens 11, which,together with a central hatten 12 serve to space the unit from the onenext below it, as clearly shown in Fig. III, thus providing betweenadjacent units, horizontal thermo-insulating spaces `or passages 13through which air may readily flow, and thereby prevent cross radiationbetween the various separate incubation chambers comprised in thestructure. To the tops o`f the sectional units are secured battens 14which are so disposed as to serve as 1Mcorrelative projections andcooperate with the end "battens 11 in preventing endwise displacementbetween adjacent units when set one upon the top of the other as shown.The battens 14 of each unit terminate at their ends a trifle short ofthe front and rear of the sectional units to. which they are attachedvso as to be overlapped by projections consisting of the lower edges oftheface rails 15 and the back boards, 16 of the adjacent superimposedunit, the interlock thus established serving to prevent sidewisedisplacement beto provide openings which communicate lll lli

Lax-1 conservation of space than has heretofore been possible in'incubatore of large capacity.. Ylhe vchambers 5-5 are closed at thefront by doors 20, which are hinged at their` lower edges as indicatedat 2l-21 so as to be swingable downwardly. 'lhe door of each horizontalrow or tier may be thus actuated by mechanism' which includes, in each1nstanc'e, a horizontal shaft 22 bent at one end into the form of anoperating crank (Figs. l and ll), and having attached to it lever arms25, which are connected interposed links 26, with resiliently idexibieconnectors 27 secured to the doors 20. The cranks 23 are normally lockedby means Aof hooks 28 (Figs. l and ll) in suchpositions as to induce inthe flexible connectors 27 suiiicient pressure tohold the doors normallyclosed. By the arrangement just described, the doors in each sectionalunit may be simultaneously opened to aiford access to the interior ofthe various incubation cham bers comprised inv it.

Within each incubation chamber at a plane intermediate of its height ismounted an egg tray 30 which maybe of any approvided construction. Thesetrays are preferably supported in horizontal slideways so that they maybe projected from within the chambers to permit the occasional airing ofthe eggs which, as is well known, is essential during the incubationperiod. Proper humidix'ication of the air within the various incubationchambers is obtained by provision of the usual moisture pans shown at31. lllach sectional unit is heated by a bank of hot water pipes 32which are common to its several incubation chambers and which runlongitudinally through their very tops, so that radiation is obliged totake place downwardly through the egg trays 30. lThe ends of the pipes32 project beyond the sectional units and are threaded as at 3333.` sothat'they may be-connected in various ways to establish a closed hotwater cir-- culatory system.

will behest seen from Fig. V, are diagonallyopposite each other andrespectively dis- Each incubation chamber '5 has at its rear one or morefresh air 1ninveste -ters with said opening. rlthe throttle 37 isautomatically controlled according to the temperature existing in thechamber by means of a thermostat 39 which is secured 'to a bracket 40extending rearwardly from the outlet 38, and which through a lever il isconnected to an adjustable link l.l2 to actuate the counter-weighted armi3 which is in turn connected by a link to a downwardly turned end ofthe pivot rod fl@ of the throttle valve. A stop i7 serves to limit themovement of the lthrottle to the full open position shown in lfig. V.1Under the principle of air circulation outlined above, it will readilybe seen that the bottoms of the eggs are maintained at a lowertemperature than their tops thus imitating more closely the naturalconditions of hatching underthe hen:

ln lfig. Vl, we have shown in perspective two column structures set upafter the manner of Fig.' lll and arranged back to back, this method ofcompounding vadmitting of economical operation from a common source ofhot water supply as will be presently eX- plained. According to theillustration, the

ends of the vertically corresponding pipes 32 of the banks in theseveral units, shown in dotted lines in the right hand incubator sect1oncolumn of the structure, are interconnected alternately at theiropposite ends b v connectors 50, and the upper terminals of eachadjacent pair of the vertical zig-zag courses thus established in turnconnected by connectorsV 5l. By this arrangement. these vertical coursesserve alternately as lll) flow and return units. 'llhe lower terminalsof the alternate vertical courses are connected, respectively, tomanifolds 53 and 54, which, :through` pipes 55 and 56, communicate witha water heater conventionally represented at 57 and thus there isformeel a double closed circulatory system (of two parallel circuits)adapted for operation by convection. The pipe banks in the incubatorsection column at the left of the figure are connected in a mannersimilar to that just described, so that the two Aare in perfect balanceandthe circulation throughout the entire systeri is rendered absolutely.uniform. -Thus the pipe bank 32 of each incubator section has closedcircuitcirculatory connections to its inlets yand outlets at 33; and thevertical dow and return .liti

courses of the system extend side by side union 59.

The characteristics of this heating system will be best understood bythe illustrative example which follows:

Let it be assumed that a temperature of 100 F., is to be maintainedwithin the sev- `eral sectional units of the structure, and that a/di'opof 1 F., takes place intransition of thellieatingmediuni from one pipebank to the next succeeding. Accordingly the temperature of the ow pipesof the lowermost unit o'l' a live tier structure as -herein representedmust be 104 F., and by similar reasoning, the return 96 F.\ In thesection next above, the iiow will vbe 103 F. and the return 97 F., andso on, while in the uppermost section, the iiow and thev return willhave the same temperature value of 100 F. By averaging the two iiguresin each instance,` itwill be seen that by relative compensation, auniform effective temperature of 100 will be obtained.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A sectional incubator comprising a multi licity of superposed,interchangeable, cham ered unit sections each having at both top andbottom spacing and engagement means correlativelyY adapted to interlockwith those at bottom or top of an adjacent section and to space thesections apart so that their top and bottom walls shall form a doublewall partition with narrow air spaces therein, and each also havingtherein a horizontal bank of radiating 4h pipes with inlet and outletconnections to the exterior ,of the section for circulation of a heatingmedium through said pipes.

2. A. chambered incubator unit section having closed top and bottomwalls With, in the one case, projections extending at right angles ateach corner, and, in the other case, correlative projections adapted toengage in the angles ot said iirst mentioned projections on another suchsection and thereby interlock the sections in deiinite relativepositions one on the other, the sections being slightly spaced apart bytheir projections to afford a narrow thermo-insulating air space betweenthem.

3. A chambered incubator section adapted for stacking with similarsections` and having in its chamber an egg tray at a level in-.termediate ofv its height; a bank of heating pipes in the top of saidchamber freely exposed to radiate directly downward on the tray; airinlet and outlet passages at-opposite sides of said chamber, beneath and.above said tray, respectively; and a thermostatic damper for the airoutlet passage completely' controlling influx of air to the chamber andcirculation of air therethrough.

4. A chambered incubator 'section adapted for stacking withsimilainsections and having a closed top wall, and an egg tray at alevel intermediate of its height; a bank of heating pipes in the top ofits chamber; air inlet and outlet openings beneath and above said tray,respectively, lthe lattery in a side wall of the chamber; andthcrmostatic damper 'mechanism for the. air outlet beneath said top Wallcompletely controlling influx of air to the chamber and circulation oiair therethrough.

5. A chambered incubator section adapted for stacking with similarsections and having closed top and bottom walls with spacing andengagement means correlatively adapted to interlock with those ofadjacent sections and space the sections apart to affordthermo-insulating sp aces between them an egg tray in its chamber at alevel intermediate of its height; a bank of heating pipes in the top ofsaid chamber; air inlet and outlet passages at opposite sides of saidchamber, beneath and above said tray, respectively; and athermostatically controlled damper directly responsive to thetemperature beneath said heating pipes and completely controlling influxof air to the chamber and circulation of air therethrough.

6. A sectional incubator comprising a multiplicity of interchangeable,superposed chambered sectional units provided with individual 'banks ofhorizontally disposed heating pipes which protrude to the exteriorbeyond vthe ends of the sectional units to permit of their beinginterconnected with each other or with corresponding pipes of adjacentunits.

7 An incubator comprising a plurality of superposed incubation chambers,including a A chamber below the upper one .having a closed top wall andan egg tray at a level intermediate of its height, a bank of heatingpipes in the top of said chainber, air inlet and 115 outlet openingsbeneath and above said tray, the latter in a side wall of the chamber,and theriiiostatic damper mechanism for the air outlet beneath said topwall completely controlling infiux of air' to the chamber and 120circulation of air therethrough.

8. An incubator comprising an incubation chamber with an egg tray at alevel intermediate of its height, a bank of heating pipes in the topofsaid chamber freely ex- 195 posed to radiate directly downward on thetray, air inlet and outlet passages at opposite sides of said chamber,beneath and above said tray,'and a thermostatic damperfor the air outletpassage completely con- 1W trolling indun otair to the chamber andcirculation ot air therethrough.

9. An incubator structure comprising a multiplicity ot incubationchambers arranged in superimposed relation; in combination with aheating system including individual banks of heating pipes for saidchambers, the corresponding pipes in the several banks being connected'in vertical sequence at alternate ends of the structure, and adjacentpairs of the Vertical Zig-zag courses thus'established beinginterconnected at their upper ends and communicatingat their lower endswith inlet and discharge manifolds respectively, so that said verticalcourses servealternately as flow and return units.

10. An incubatorwstructure comprising a plurality of superposedincubationl chambers, and a closed circuit heating system thereforcomprising flow and return courses extending side by side through thevarious incubation chambers from top to bottom ot' the incubator-` sothat by connecting the ilow and return courses to the delivery andreturn sides of a heater a closed heatingl circuit will be establishedand all the chambers heated uniformly.

11m. ln an incubator structure comprising a plurality of superposedincubation chambers, a closed circuit heating system therefor comprisingflow and return courses eX- tending'side by side through the variousincubation chambers from top to bottom of the structure, thecorresponding pipes in each course being detachably coupled tegether invertical sequence at alternate ends, and the ends 0f the How and returncourses being connected to the delivery .and return sides of a heater,so as to form a closed heating circuit and .heat all the chambersuniformly.

lln testimony whereof, We have hereunto signed our names at the city ofPaterson, New Jersey, this fifth day of August, 1920.

GEO. W. CISCO. JOHN F. MACKAY.

